May 27, 2005

Everyone knows some politicians sometimes break promises, but usually they at least have the decency to wait a little while between making the promise and breaking it, so it’s not so obvious. Usually they even let an election intervene. And usually, we’re talking about individuals breaking promises, not whole parties.

But this time, the Senate Democrats broke their promise not to filibuster the nomination of John Bolton after only two days.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrats agreed on Tuesday to clear the way for the Senate to vote on the controversial nomination of John Bolton as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, which was expected to pass mainly on party lines.
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WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats forced a delay Thursday in a confirmation vote for John R. Bolton, yet another setback for President Bush’s tough-talking choice as U.N. ambassador and a renewal of intense partisanship in the Senate after a brief respite.

The vote to advance Bolton’s nomination to an immediate confirmation vote was 56-42 – four short of the 60 votes that Bolton’s Republican backers needed.
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